First Post

[tcg20]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the knowledge.

I started taking apart my motor bike today, I'm going to bring her back to life.

I built her about three years ago, long story short I didn't have a car, looked at my bike and thought, "Put a motor on it."
MotoredBikes.com definitely helped me out with just about every aspect of the installation. I tried doing it all in a day, but I got fed up and quit after some chain alignment and tension headaches. Next day problem solved with an alternate (and much more stable) engine mount config. Eureka I had the sweetest machine ever.
Definitely an experience. I'd love to do another one, thinking about adding a transmission somehow, already searched it on here lol.

But first I gotta bring my baby out of retirement. I garaged her before winter and I've got a car now so she didn't move. I just want to get a few rides in before it's too cold.

She's been in a basement for about a year now and it's starting to show. I took time for a bit of quick cleaning and maintenance before she started sitting around for good, engine always fueled with an exact mix with synthetic oil, regular maintenance throughout use. Engine always ran strong. She'll be screaming at 35mph again in no time. There's something about tearing down the road that fast on a bike.

I would've taken her out after a quick carb cleaning and chain lube, but I need to do some rear wheel repair first.

So that's why it's upside down with the wheel off.
I need to either lace the back wheel (again) or figure out a modification to fix the sprocket directly to the hub. None of this rubber ring, bolts on spokes stuff anymore. I've got six snapped spokes right now thanks to this poor design.

So I started making sketches of some possible mods, searched around on here for a while and figured why not make a post.

So anyway, sorry to ramble on but hello again and thanks for all the help.

 

[GearNut]

Welcome to the forum!
You can go about improoving you rear wheel a few ways.
The most obvious one is to use heavy duty 12 or 10 gauge spokes.
Or.......
http://home.roadrunner.com/~bikeparts/sprocket_adapter.htm
Or.......
http://www.spookytoothcycles.com/content/view/272/1/

 

[tcg20]

I thought about 12g spokes the last time I laced the rear wheel, but didn't want to bore out the spoke flange and rim, and possibly degrade the integrity of the rear hub. That's what I thought at the time, but I may do it now. It's not that much of a size difference b/t 14g and 12g. Would the hub and rim be damaged at all? Or is this a pretty common thing, high success rate?

I've definitely looked at that sprocket adapter, on Pirate Cycles. I wasn't sure if it would work on my hub because they only give 3 hub options, but it looks like this guy will take dimensions for any hub and machine an adapter for it! Plus he's got a better price and machines sprockets. Thanks dude.

Has anyone had success using this adapter with 14g spokes? With a new lace and a proper true, I can't see the spokes/wheel suffering if there's zero loss of power from the drive to the hub.

And definitely the HD wheel from Spooky Tooth. That's good to know it's available.
Is a 12g wheel worth the $ difference between that and a sprocket adapter? Maybe, it's got a brake on the sprocket that might be worth it right there.
What do you guys think?

 

[GearNut]

I could not imagine that drilling out the spoke holes in the hub or rim could damage the strength. I am by no means an expert on that subject though.

Considering the stresses that the wheel has to endure, being powered by a 2 hp gas engine instead of a 1/4 hp human, my opinion is 12 gauge spokes are cheap insurance against future faliure. This applies to both a sandwiched sprocket or the Manic Mechanic hub adapter.
Consider that the SpookyTooth wheel has a hub mounted sprocket and 12 gauge spokes.

Some folks do not like the performance of the external drum brake on the SpookyTooth wheel, some really like it.

Manic Mechanic is a one man band when it comes to doing the machine work.
You have to be patient with the turn around times. 2 weeks to 1 month is not uncommon. He does his custom work after hours. He still holds a day job, and has other obligations in his life.

 

[matu421@hotmail.com]

I bought the spookytooth HD wheel! I had to make ajustments to both the wheel and the bike frame to get it to line up!! The drum brake works good to slow you down, will not stop on a dime! I felt it was better than the old school coaster brake, which was cause for needing new wheel, I broke the axle when I had problems while riding!! The wheel is very stout and seems to work well, though not cheap I thought it was worth it!